In target shooting, it is customary for shooters to sit alongside benches or tables located at various distances from targets posted in a shooting range. The benches have surfaces which support sandbags on which the forearm of the shooter's gun is placed, and shooting accessories such as a spotting scope, ammunition, and the like is often placed on the bench during shooting. The elevation of the gun is normally adjusted by stacking sandbags to various heights on the front of the bench. This type of bench is generally permanently installed at a shooting range.
Several attempts have been made to provide portable gun supports for use in shooting. Examples of such devices may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,847,909; 3,711,984; and 3,863,376. In addition, a portable shooting bench is disclosed in the December 1981 issue of The American Hunter at pages 58 and 59. A portable take-down shooting bench is currently being marketed by REL Associates of Denver, Colo. Folding tables for other purposes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,421,127 and 4,144,823.
While each of the aforementioned devices may function satisfactorily for its intended purpose, there is an ever present demand for a shooting bench which is capable of being folded into a compact configuration for carrying yet which is capable of being erected readily for use at the desired shooting location.